In my grief for the sudden and senseless loss of our co-founder Steve Carter, and the impact to his wife Lokita, I woke up this morning in disbelief… I must have dreamt that just this summer we learned of Lokita’s breast cancer. I must have dreamt that just weeks ago a wildfire burned down Harbin Hot Springs and left its entire community, our community, without homes and employment. I must have dreamt it all, I thought. Life can’t be this – unbelievable.

I had the pleasure to serve Steve & Lokita for some 8 years as their administrator. In all that time, I experienced from Steve a kind and gentle-hearted soul, a lighthearted and humble man, and an extraordinary teacher. Together, Steve & Lokita were examples to me and thousands of others of how to live from the heart. Over the years, working closely with Lokita, I found a true and beloved friend. I know I am not alone in our deep love and compassion for Lokita during this time.

As I wake up this morning, I face the future with our Ecstatic Living staff, faculty, and our community who have been touched over the years by Steve & Lokita. As part of our community, I am honored to continue our shared journey as we face the future together. Following a public memorial for Steve, our faculty and I will meet to plan for the coming years of Ecstatic Living, and to prepare for the next SkyDancing® Tantra Professional Training & Certification Program. More information will come soon.

Since the Valley Fire, we have worked hard to relocate many of our workshops that had been scheduled to take place at Harbin Hot Springs and to prepare for 2016. Our Ecstatic Living office has been flooded by inbound communication in recent weeks; a deluge of inquires from media, participants, graduates, and more, has caused a delay in our email communication. For urgent matters, please phone us at 707-987-3456.

For now, I wish to finish by thanking all of you who have shared with us and Lokita your love, your kindhearted words of encouragement and testimonials. Each of your messages have given us strength to keep breathing, to keep laughing and to keep loving in the work we do. We will do our best to honor Steve & Lokita by continuing to devote ourselves to teaching people the art of ecstatic living, something that they did together so beautifully for so many years.

Our deep love and condolences go out to Lokita during this heartbreaking time. Please find below a word from her.

Love,

Logan RoseDirector of Ecstatic Living

A note from Lokita Carter…

Dear Friends of Ecstatic Living,

As you know, Steve and I founded this wonderful institute in 1999 and we taught hundreds of life-transforming workshops. In July, I was diagnosed with invasive metaplastic breast cancer and have been in intensive treatment since then.

Then on Monday early evening, the most horrible and inconceivable happened: Steve was murdered while on a walk on a popular hiking trail in Fairfax, Marin County, CA. He was shot dead in the late afternoon. Our dog Coco was shot in the head and chest. She survived and will be in veterinary hospital care for many weeks. Yesterday afternoon I was informed by the sheriff that three suspects are in custody.

Steve, the gentlest, sweetest, most good-natured and open-hearted man was ripped from our life just like that. I am beyond devastated by losing my beloved husband of 17 years to this senseless act of violence and random murder. My heart is shattered into a million pieces. Our family is in deep mourning. There are no words to describe our sorrow and despair.

In order to protect our privacy, I chose to deactivate our Facebook accounts and two of our websites for the time being. If you wish to contact me, please email info@tantravacations.com.

Please know that due to the intensity of my cancer treatment and my grief, I find myself unable to make a commitment for a public memorial date. There will be one, and you will be informed in due course. Please bear with me.

Countless people have asked how they can be of help at this time. If you find it in your heart to make a financial donation, it would be greatly appreciated to help with my healing – both from this incomprehensible loss of my beloved, and the breast cancer.